Player Profile: Corey Hart

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Corey Hart broke out in a big way last season. He posted a .295/.353/.539 offensive line last season, and he became only the fifth player in Milwaukee’s history to be a 20-20 player. Corey did not receive too much attention last season, as the media mainly focused on Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun. I expect that to change this season if Corey can keep up his current pace.

Strengths:

Corey, who will only be 26 this season, possesses great power and speed for a guy with his frame. At 6’6″, lots of power can be generated. Corey has not been a disappointment in that category, belting 24 home runs for the Crew last season. He provided a consistent offensive force, whether he batted lead-off or behind Fielder in the fifth spot. The one aspect of his game that is unexpected given his large frame is his speed. Corey is one of the fastest players on the Brewers, and that is shown by his 23 stolen bases last season. His speed brings a different dimension to the batting order, and Ned Yost has said that he plans on using Corey’s baserunning abilities to a greater use this upcoming season.

Even though some have critiqued his defensive skills in right field, statistics show that Corey has been nothing but above-average in the outfield. In 113 games in right last season, Corey only made one error. His route running in the field can still be improved upon, but his speed and tall frame allows him to make up for slow starts or bad routes to the ball. Corey also has a very strong arm in right, and runners largely do not try to test his arm. With Mike Cameron now patrolling center field, I can only imagine that Corey’s defensive skills will improve.

Weaknesses:

Like most of the Milwaukee Brewers, Corey Hart strikes out a little too much. He was one strike out short of the century mark last season, but his .294 average and 24 home runs make up for those whiffs. His high strike out rate is not as big of a problem as it is for other Brewers players, but it is still worth noting. Hopefully Corey can bring that rate down a bit. He’ll have many chances to plate a lot of runs with Braun and Fielder batting in front of him.

Hart’s .353 on-base percentage is just fine on the surface, but he only walked 36 times in 505 at bats. That dismal 7.1% walk rate needs to improve. Corey does not take enough pitches, in my opinion, and a higher walk rate will help the team all around. It should be pointed out that it is a lot harder to walk Corey because he is so tall and his strike zone is so big. He knows that, so he swings a lot more freely in many cases. Still, a little more plate discipline should be expected from the young right fielder as he still matures as a major league player.

Projections:

ZiPS – .289/.353/.518
The Hardball Times – .285/.343/.511

These projections expect Corey Hart to simply continue at his current pace of performance. I cannot argue with that assessment, as Corey has shown that he can hit no matter where he plays. Expect his stolen base total to increase a bit and his defense to improve overall. He and Ryan Braun will benefit the most from the Mike Cameron signing, at least defensively. I expect Corey to take a bit more of a leadership role on the team this year, and he will continue to be one of the most productive right fielders in the league. His relatively unknown status will most likely change this year. It will be well deserved, though.

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